A Montrose-based company is planning to build a luxury holiday park near Fettercairn.
Monarch Leisure and Park Homes Ltd hopes that its £6 million investment at Dowrieburn will tap in to a growing market in the north east of Scotland.
An independent consultant’s report has identified a shortfall in four and five star self-catering accommodation in Kincardineshire in particular.
And across south Aberdeenshire the situation has been made worse by at least two holiday parks being wiped out by floods just over a year ago.
The report, prepared by consultants, Tourism and Leisure Solutions, studied the current market conditions in the tourism industry, including supply, occupancy levels and projected growth.
It concludes that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire show a higher rate of tourism growth than Scotland as a whole, suggesting potential for further market development.
The area is also bucking the national trend by showing an increase in self-catering occupancy levels with highest average occupancy levels in the four and five star sectors.
Monarch Leisure and Park Homes Ltd lodged a planning application earlier this month and if successful, the three-year programme will create a holiday park with 57 luxury lodges, fishing ponds, a nature trail, a restaurant and shops.
The site is currently occupied by an abandoned piggery and demolition and site clearing alone will cost more that £300,000.
Roads, drainage, utilities and landscaping will bring the cost up to around £1.5m.
The remaining development costs are in the luxury lodges themselves.
Bill MacDonald, of Monarch Leisure, said:”The report clearly shows that the main market is for very high-end accommodation and that is what we intend to provide.
“We will be sourcing all 57 lodges from Stately Albion, a European market leader.
“Their units are all beautifully finished and furnished to provide a genuinely luxurious holiday.”
Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire shows a higher rate of tourism growth than Scotland as a whole, suggesting potential for further market development.
It is also bucking the national trend by showing an increase in self-catering occupancy levels.
The UK market generates the vast majority of visits and visitor spend to Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire.
The Scottish visitor market outperforms the English market in terms of visitor numbers and spend.
